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How often does anyone hear this kind of thing? Alas, young people hear too often that we are resigned to the opposite.
Posted on 02/06/2007 9:51:18 AM PST by NYer
VATICAN CITY, February 5, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Today, the Vatican released Pope Benedict XVI's message for the World Youth Day 2007, which is to be celebrated in all dioceses on Palm Sunday, April 1. The message focuses on love, and a significant portion is dedicated to preparation for marriage.
Rather than assume young people incapable of avoiding premarital relations, the Holy Father challenges youth to remain pure even during a marriage engagement. "The period of engagement," he said, "very necessary in order to form a couple, is a time of expectation and preparation that needs to be lived in purity of gesture and words."
Typical of Pope Benedict, he provides youth with the reason behind the instruction. "It allows you to mature in love, in concern and in attention for each other," he said "it helps you to practise self-control and to develop your respect for each other." The Pope added, "These are the characteristics of true love that does not place emphasis on seeking its own satisfaction or its own welfare."
In his message, the Pope also confronts the false notion that in dealing with youthful love between young men and young women, the Church is little more than an impediment. "It is essential that you discover," he told young couples the "project of love" which God has planned for you. Discover it, he said, "with the help of the Church, free from the common prejudice that says that Christianity with its commandments and prohibitions places obstacles to the joy of love and impedes you from fully enjoying the happiness that a man and woman seek in their reciprocal love."
In a concluding message to all youth, the Pope encouraged them to 'dare to love'. "My dear young friends, I want to invite you to 'dare to love,'" he said. "Do not desire anything less for your life than a love that is strong and beautiful and that is capable of making the whole of your existence a joyful undertaking of giving yourselves as a gift to God and your brothers and sisters."
See the Pope's full World Youth Day message here:
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/messages/yout...
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How often does anyone hear this kind of thing? Alas, young people hear too often that we are resigned to the opposite.
I hope they're listening. That's a beautiful message that the Holy Father is delivering and it's wonderful that he present the Church's ages old teaching in such a gentle and loving way. He's a true pastor and we're all blessed by his pontificate.
God bless Pope Benedict
In a few years, such talk will be considered hate speech.
I don't think young people will ever have premarital sex ever again after this message.
You and me baby ain’t nothin’ but mammals
So let's do it like they do on the Discovery Channel
...
Time was when a man would protect a woman even from his (and her) own God-given healthy sex drive until they could share married physical intimacy without guilt or shame.
Most women still crave that kind of tender protection. God made them that way. God made men to be the defender-provider and called it headship.
Head of household means something to many of us men, even yet.
Oy vey.
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It's so unusual to see such a positive message. Thanks!
St. Mary Magdalene, pray for them! St. Monica, intercede on their behalf.
Such a beautiful picture of our Holy Father. God has blessed us with an extraordinary guide.
He has indeed.
What an interesting theory since it is usually the man who pressures the woman into sex. Is this how men "exercise" their so-called headship? You make it sound as though women can't control themselves without men around to help them. You've got this backwards, buddy.
I think we agree, at least in part. The problem is, as you say, that unrighteous males do pressure women. Women are spoken of scripturally as 'weaker vessels' and men are to protect and defend them.
Headship includes protection from harm and also has a self-sacrificing aspect, the Shepherd willing to die for the flock and the man willing to die to protect the woman. That kind of man gains a woman's love and respect and she gladly submits to (follows and supports) his non-bullying leadership.
Vastly different from the bullying, coarse wife-beating rogue that is all too real in many women's lives.
Raucous round of applause. Manic hand-waving, foot-stomping, and raising of glass of cheap California red wine. Woodle-woodle-woodle!
(For the unitiated, these are manifestations of an affirmative response to the post.)
I think that's the Pope's "official expression." He has the same look on his face in the photo from his installation that's on the wall over my computer :-).
Christopher West's Theology of the Body Webiste
Books, tapes, CDs, DVDs, etc.
From book by the same name by Pope John Paul II. Tells young people how to maintain that chastity!
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